The Final Cut: St. Cyr Salon and Day Spa to Close after 55 Years

Sarah Connell Reporter @popitworcester

Wednesday

May 13, 2020 at 11:28 AMMay 13, 2020 at 4:56 PM

St. Cyr Salon and Day Spa has been an iconic presence in Worcester since 1965, and its owner, Bob Cyr, has had a colorful career not only as a beautician and businessman, but also as a Marine and boxer. He was even once named "Mr. Worcester" in a bodybuilding contest. He's a man who's seen a lot, and he doesn't mince words when he says why he's closing his salon for good after 55 years.

“I’m running away,” said Cyr. “I’m just so scared of this Coronavirus. That’s why I’m closing the salon.”

It's an end to a storied chapter in a storied life. At the peak of his career, he owned three schools where he was known for scouting top talent in the industry, but even before that, he'd lived many lives.

Cyr was born in Worcester in 1941 and moved to Maine as a teenager to work as a lobsterman. At 18, he joined the United States Marine Corps and became a welterweight boxing champion. Upon his return to his hometown of Worcester, he ran into an old friend, Reggie LeBlanc, at a hamburger joint on Shrewsbury Street called Speedy’s. LeBlanc was getting into the salon business and invited Cyr to attend beauty school with him. Cyr was hesitant at first. It wasn’t common at that time for men to become Clairol colorists or makeup artists, but LeBlanc had convinced a whole group of men to enroll together. According to Cyr, the instructor said it was the “craziest class” in history.

Soon after, Cyr pawned his most valuable ring for the money to make a downpayment on a wig business at 235 Park Ave. in Worcester. His empire grew to include a Supercuts franchise and eventually his own salon.

Cyr lived by the words, “Mirror, mirror, is it true that others see me as you do?”

Cyr married his high school sweetheart Nancy, and together they opened St. Cyr Salon and Spa. Employees say that Nancy’s beautiful smile, kind heart, and sense of humor created a balanced and calm atmosphere in the business. As St. Cyr grew, the couple purchased the three-story building at 235 Park Ave. In the late 1960s, the Cyrs developed a cosmetic line and dispatched a successful sales team using a model similar to that of Avon. They sold their first line to a large firm and turned their efforts toward building a luxury skincare, shampoo and fragrance brand, which benefited from national distribution for many years after that.

On a roadtrip to the White Mountains during the 1980s, the Cyrs got caught in a terrible storm and pulled over at a restaurant on Route 16 in the small town of Bartlett, New Hampshire. They stayed the night in a cottage on the property and woke up to the most majestic view. “I bought the place that day,” he remembers.

The Cyrs went on to build one of the region’s top resorts — Nordic Village Luxury Mountain Getaways. Cyr showed up to a planning board meeting shortly after the initial purchase wearing a fur coat and an earring. A town selectman followed him out and suggested he stop dressing like a “city slicker” if he wanted anyone to take him seriously. He listened.

“I sold Nordic Village for approximately $13 million in 2007,” says Cyr.

Nancy Cyr passed away in 1996 after a battle with cancer. Her husband of 37 years started the Angel of Peace Foundation in her honor and created a beautiful monument for her at Nestlenook Farm in Jackson, New Hampshire, where Cyr plans to move full time now that his salon has closed. He intends to continue operating Nestlenook Farm next winter as a popular destination for sleigh rides, ice skating and snowshoeing.

“She was a wonderful woman, a valuable asset to the business, and the love of my life,” says Cyr.

Cyr has announced the permanent closing of St. Cyr Salon and Spa with a full but heavy heart in the uncertain time of COVID-19. He is especially grateful to his loyal staff whom he considers to be his family. He realizes their dedication directly contributed to the salon's success for many years and he hopes that they will go on to open their own businesses just as he did at the start of his career.

The most iconic image of Cyr shows him standing in front of a Rolls Royce outside his salon in the 1960s. He is flanked by his two beloved Afghan Hounds and an array of beautiful stylists, all dressed in white. It is a sharp contrast to the fearful tone he carries today.

“I ran my course,” he says, “I experienced success. Now, I’m just scared to death of being around people.”